Where You Belong
by mistressbabette51
Summary: In this AU story, Iris is a cop, but also she's in love with her childhood crush Barry Allen. Written for the Westallen 'Prompt' Week on Tumblr (Jan. 6-12, 2015): Day #4 - Significant Change(s). I hope you enjoy it!


_**Westallen Week – Day #4 Significant Change(s): Cop!Iris plus Iris has a crush, not Barry!**_

~o~o~

_Where You Belong_

_After Graduation, the Police Academy:_

Iris West was very proud to have passed all of her training, written exams, and field exercises to become a police officer for the Central City Police Department.

Joe was torn in two by her decision to do this, but standing there and looking at her accept her certificate and her badge, he couldn't have been prouder. She looked so happy; he decided to push his fears aside and help her get through this.

"Dad!?" Iris asked as she walked over to him. Holding up her certificate, she said, "I did it!"

Joe gave her a tight hug. "Yes you did. I'm very proud of you, honey."

Barry stood behind them, unsure what to do. Iris working as a police officer terrified him, not only for her safety, but now that he was the Flash for nearly a year now, everything would change. How could he not tell her that the Flash was involved in just about every criminal activity in the city?

According to Iris, she and Eddie had broken up. Her blog was far too important to her and Eddie refused to accept that she wasn't involved with the Flash. He just didn't trust her, so they parted ways. He was still on the force, but they avoided each other. He was a detective and she was new to the force. Their paths would rarely cross. That wasn't the only reason; Iris wanted Barry in her life in more ways than one.

"Barry?!" She exclaimed and smiled at him. "Please be happy for me."

They hugged each other. "I'm thrilled for you, Iris."

She could hear it in his voice. He wasn't glad for her; not at all. She looked around. "Where's Linda? Did you two break up?"

He frowned. "No, she's at work."

"Oh, I see well, that's fine. We can have a celebratory dinner; just the three of us, just like old times," she suggested.

So, they headed to dinner, but no sooner had they placed their orders when Barry got a call and so did Joe. They both had to leave. Iris also left the restaurant hoping to get involved in their cases. Joe and Barry glanced at each other.

And so it begins.

Once at the crime scene, Barry and Joe made the conclusion that another meta-human was involved in the theft of valuable artifacts from the historical museum.

Iris arrived a few minutes later to rope off the scene. She came over to them. "What happened?"

"Apparently, a meta-human was involved," Barry replied. "The security cameras didn't pick up anyone, because there was no one who could be identified. I think this person may have been invisible."

"Invisible; that's amazing!" Iris exclaimed getting excited about writing about this.

Barry read her thoughts. "Iris, you can't mention this on your blog. You're a police officer now and these things are evidence in the case."

She pouted prettily. "Damn," she said.

Joe and Barry both hid grins.

A little while later, Barry had to leave and head to STAR Labs while Joe and Iris left the scene.

"Where's Barry going?" Iris asked and watched him leave, getting suspicious.

"Probably meeting with Linda," he replied and watched her for a minute. It was just as he suspected. "Iris, I know what you're thinking."

"I can't tell him. He's involved with Linda now."

"I know, but he may already know."

"You didn't tell him; did you?"

"No, I didn't say anything, but you should think about it."

Iris wasn't afraid of anything; one of the reasons she had decided to defy her Father and become a policewoman. But telling Barry how she felt was so difficult. She didn't want to lose him and if he didn't feel the same way; it could destroy their friendship.

Joe touched her shoulder. "Iris, I just want you to be happy."

Thinking about Barry, she didn't say anything.

He left her standing there. Her partner woke her up. "Let's go West; we have another call."

Later that evening, at the house, Barry dropped a bomb. He was moving in with Linda.

"What?" Iris was shocked. "But you hardly know her."

"We've been dating for months," he explained.

Iris eyes filled with tears. "But you can't move in with her because," she hesitated.

Joe decided to leave them alone. "I'll just take these dishes away."

Once he was in the kitchen, Joe turned on the water to give them some privacy.

Iris stood up and walked into the living room. "Barry, I," she began. He followed her.

"What is it Iris? Why are you acting this way? I thought you would be happy for me."

He truly had no idea how she felt. She impulsively gave him a hug. "I am happy for you, Bear; truly I am."

He held her tighter; he loved the nickname "Are you sure? I mean, I got the feeling," he hesitated. She pulled away, but her eyes were shining. He touched her cheek. "What's this?"

"Oh, Barry, I … I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered and stroked away a stray tear.

She closed her eyes, touched his hand to her cheek and leaned into his hand. "I mean … I love you, Barry." She opened her eyes.

He finally got the hint. "Iris?"

"I do; I love you so much that it hurts; it hurts to look at you."

Barry was truly stunned. "I don't know what to say."

She shouldn't have done this; now everything will be different. She backed up. "I'm sorry."

He didn't know what to do; what to say. "I should go; tell Joe I'll see him at work?"

"Of course," she replied, but she couldn't look at him.

"Goodnight, Iris."

"Goodnight, Barry."

Then he was gone.

Minutes later, Joe came into the living room. "Oh, Barry left?"

She turned to him and holding the tears at bay, she whispered, "I told him."

"Oh, I see, and?"

"He was shocked; he had no idea." She wiped at the corner of her eyes, trying to stem the flow.

"Honey, I'm so sorry. Are you Ok?" He squeezed her shoulder.

She sighed heavily. "I'll be alright. Goodnight, Dad."

He watched her go up the stairs. "Goodnight, honey."

A week later, while on assignment for another museum robbery, but this time, the Flash showed up then Iris arrived on the scene minutes later. There was a shoot-out. Even though the robbers were invisible, they couldn't walk through walls. The team had come up with a device to catch them and it worked.

Barry managed to dodge the bullets but Iris wasn't so lucky and she wasn't wearing a vest. She was hit in her upper body and she was bleeding profusely. Joe was in another area of the alleyway unaware of what happened. Moments later, the robbers were caught, then Barry ran to her and tried to stop the bleeding before the ambulance arrived.

Iris slowly opened her eyes, and the Flash was hovering over her, but his face wasn't blurring. He was so distraught that he had forgotten to obscure his face.

"Iris, Iris?! Barry was terrified of losing her. Still staring at him, and after her vision cleared the Flash's eyes seemed familiar. Iris was thinking; _Is that Barry or did I imagine it? _Then she lost consciousness.

"Stay with me, Iris, please; stay with me!" Barry didn't realize that he was practically screaming at her. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

A few hours later, Joe and Barry were sitting in her hospital room. Her surgery had gone well; the bullet had been removed. A little lower and she would have bled to death. Barry stood by her bedside the entire time.

"Joe, she could have died tonight." He visibly shuttered at the thought.

Joe stood up and came over to him. He squeezed his shoulder. "We were lucky this time."

_This is a nightmare_, Barry thought. "We have to get her to quit."

"This is Iris we're talking about. She defied both of us when she decided to become a cop."

Iris began to wake up. The first thing she said was, "Barry?"

"I'm here," he replied and squeezed her hand. "You're in the hospital, but you're going to be alright."

"I'm here, sweetie," Joe said.

"Dad?" She tried to sit up, but Barry pushed her back down. "You were shot, Iris, do you remember?"

She stared at him closely thinking about Flash. "I remember."

"Iris, maybe you should," Barry began.

Joe interrupted him. "We'll talk later; you rest honey. We'll be back shortly," Joe said.

"Alright," she whispered and closed her eyes again. While in a drug-induced sleep, she entered a dream world where Barry and Flash were one and the same.

Barry and Joe left her alone. Out in the hall, Joe was getting upset. "Barry, I know you care for her, but she's in love with you. You know that, don't you?" He whispered.

"I know that, but," Barry replied but Joe interrupted him again.

"If you tell her to quit her job, she may do it to please you. Don't lead her on. Because if you don't love her in the same way, it could lead her to do something she'll regret. Later on, she may resent you for it. Let her make up her own mind," he whispered.

"But Joe, you don't understand." He hung his head.

"What don't I understand?"

He raised his tear-filled eyes to his face. "You see, I do feel the same way."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do. I suppose it's always been there, but tonight when she was hurt, I realized the truth. I felt her pain, Joe; I felt it. I suddenly realized that I didn't know what I would do if she didn't make it."

Joe nodded. "I suspected it."

"Really; I actually didn't know myself." Barry was quite surprised.

Joe shook his head at him. "You two are truly something."

"What does that mean?" Barry asked.

"Nothing; nothing at all."

"Barry?!" It was Iris.

"You go on in," Joe said. Barry nodded unable to speak.

"I'm here," Barry said and reached for her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," she replied.

He poured her some water. She took a sip. "Thanks." She watched him for a minute. "You don't have to stay."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" He teased.

She closed her eyes for a minute. "No, but you don't have to pretend."

He frowned. "Whose pretending?"

She didn't believe him. "Barry, I know you don't care for me in that way, and believe me, I tried to let go of all of my dreams and fantasies about you, but I couldn't."

"Iris," he began.

"Let me finish and you can go," she said.

He shook his head then raised her hand to his lips and kissed it reverently. "Iris, don't say anymore." He squeezed her hand. "I 'm not going anywhere."

Iris didn't know what to think. She just loved him so much. "Barry?"

He then smoothed and stroked her hair. She loved it when he touched her like this. It wasn't the first time she had been in the hospital. She had broken her arm when she was a teenager. She loved to run and she had joined the track team. She lasted a semester, forgetting she was a bit of a klutz. She was brought out of her thoughts when he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I'm just glad you're Ok," he barely got out thinking the worst.

"I am too, but," she hesitated.

Still stroking her hair, he asked, "But what?"

"How long was I a cop? Two weeks and look at me."

"It is a dangerous job; you knew that."

"I know, but I was thinking of your suggestion about being a journalist. I do have my degree and I could get my doctorate in another year." She paused for a moment. "It was just a thought."

Barry couldn't be more pleased. "You know you would be good at anything you do; that's the truth."

"Well, that's debatable."

He leaned down again. "Not to me."

He was staring at her so strangely. "Barry?"

"Yes, what is it?" He smoothed her hair again, but before she could think what to say, he leaned even closer and then he kissed her.

Iris's eyes were open for a second then she closed her eyes enjoying the kiss. He pulled away after a minute and smiled again.

Iris was ecstatic, but she was also confused. "Why did you kiss me?"

"You're a smart lady; you figure it out," he said and smiled.

Iris's heart soared inside her chest. "Oh Bear, I wish I could hold you properly, kiss you and love you." Eyes shining, she was beaming and smiling at him.

"Well, I think we can manage one more kiss." He leaned over her again, wiped her tears away with the back of his hand. "You're so beautiful."

"Barry, I look like crap. Just kiss me already." She smiled at him. Iris was in heaven. _I knew it; I knew he loved me._

After a few more kisses, he decided to let her rest. Then she yawned. "I'm so tired. Could you hold me until I fall asleep? It won't be long; I promise."

Barry looked around, suddenly feeling nervous. "Well, I suppose. Can you move over just a little?" He climbed up beside her. There was barely enough room for him, considering he was a big guy, but he managed alright. He was where he belonged; he knew that now. He stroked and smoothed her hair. "Iris?"

"Humm...?" She was almost asleep.

He had to say it. "I love you."

Eyes shining, she snuggled closer. "I love you too."

Out in the hallway, a nurse stopped by and wondered what the gentleman was looking at. She nodded and whispered, "Someone will get a good night's rest."

Joe chuckled. "Indeed they will. And nurse, just tell them… never mind; they know." He headed home.

_The end!_

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _Make You Feel My Love_, Adele.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this. I loved switching things around. I was inspired by a lovely gifset of them in reverse where Iris was the one with a crush. *lesigh* I'm just thinking about the Flash and how much I'm missing the show. Thanks for reading, everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


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